Safe?
by AnyaLehnsherr
Summary: A look into the thoughts of Edie Lehnsherr as their situation becomes more and more dire. All she wants is for her son to feel safe. I may or may not post more chapters. I haven't decided yet.


**Note: This is based on the version of Magneto's backstory in **_**Magneto Testament **_**blended with what we see in X-Men First Class**_**. **_**Sorry if it's historically inaccurate. Please leave me a review if there's anything I can edit to make it more historically accurate. Without further ado, here's the actual story: **

"Hush, Erik. It's alright. Everything is alright."

Edie held her son while he cried. Caring for her children emotionally was the hardest part for her. She and Erik both knew it wasn't alright. It was hard preparing meals for the family with such limited food. It was hard caring for her daughter Ruth, who had fallen ill, with such limited supplies. It was hard just living in such harsh conditions in the ghetto. But the hardest part was trying to maintain morale when she was so discouraged herself. Her brother-in-law, Erich, made it harder. He wasn't shy about admitting how grim the situation was. Edie wasn't naive. She knew the situation was bad and wasn't going to get better any time soon. She didn't know how much worse it could get, but she knew it could and would get worse. It pained her to see her family suffering. It pained her to know they would continue to suffer while the situation worsened. She was terrified of losing her children. But she had to stay strong for them. She couldn't let her children give up.

It had become a fairly common thing for Edie to have to comfort one of her children from a nightmare. Tonight it was Erik.

"Mama, it's not alright. I could handle the nightmares when things were still alright. But it's not."

"Erik, darling, it was only a nightmare. See? You're fine."

"It was not only a nightmare. I dreamed they came for us. The soldiers came and took us into the streets to kill us."

"Hush, Erik. It was only a nightmare. I know things aren't as good as they could be, but we are safe for now."

"It's going to happen, Mama. Uncle Erich said it's going to happen. They'll kill us all."

"Uncle Erich is always worried about something. Remember two years ago at Hanukkah when he was worried you were going to light the table on fire if I let you light the candles?" Edie said with a smile. She knew Erich might be right about this, but she didn't want Erik thinking about that. Her comment worked. Erik was smiling weakly.

"Now, Erik, can you go back to sleep? You need your sleep to stay sharp and healthy."

"Yes, Mama."

"Good. Sleep well, Erik."

Edie got up to go back to bed. While she was walking, however, she heard Erik say something.

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

"Could you stay with me until I fall asleep again?"

Under normal circumstances, Edie would have said no. However, nothing had been normal since they were sent to the ghetto. She knew they might not have much time left together. She had to cherish every moment with her son, which was hard when those moments were filled with pain.

"Anything for you, darling. Don't worry. I will keep you safe tonight."

Edie sat on her son's bed stroking his hair or holding his hand until he fell asleep again. She kissed him softly before going to get some sleep herself.

Edie thought the next day would be just like any other day in the ghetto. But when Josef returned, she learned it would be anything but.

"Edie!" Though Josef had whispered what he said, Edie could sense the urgency in his tone.

"What is it, Josef?"

"Where is Erich? There's something we need to discuss."

"He's in the bedroom with Ruth. I'll fetch him."

Edie went out of the small kitchen into the bedroom where Erich was caring for Ruth. She came back in to talk with Josef.

"What is it? Edie says you have something we need to discuss."

"We would have to move quickly, but I have found for us a way out. There is a woman who says she can help us."

"Do you know her? Can she be trusted?"

"I do not know her well. She claims to be sympathetic to our situation. I don't know if she can be trusted, but I don't think we have a choice."

"Josef," Edie began, "can we risk doing this? They will certainly kill us if we are caught."

"Edie, I know. Go into that room and look at your daughter. She will die if we don't get out of here."

Just then, Erik entered the room.

"Mama, Papa, Uncle Erich, look. I found something in the street and traded it for this," Erik said proudly as he held up a very small loaf of bread.

"Wonderful, Erik. Go give some to your sister and have a little yourself."

"Yes, Papa."

As soon as Erik left the room, Josef began to speak again.

"Edie, this is why we need to go. If a loaf of bread that small is something worth celebrating, we won't last long. Think of Erik. It is nearly impossible to bear to see my daughter so sick. I wouldn't be able to go on if the same happened to my son. Edie, my children are starving. My wife hasn't been able to sleep. My brother has been beaten several times. We cannot stay here if there is an opportunity to escape. I won't force you to come, and I would never leave without you or the children. Please consider this. We need to make our decision tonight. It might be our only chance to get away."

"You're right. We need to go."

Later that night, the family started preparing to leave.

"Mama, do you know where we're going?"

"I'm not sure. Papa knows a woman who is going to take us somewhere safe."

"Mama, I'm scared."

"You don't have to be scared, Erik. Papa and I are going to be with you and Ruth every second."

"What about the soldiers?"

"Don't think about them, Erik. Just think about me, Papa, and Ruth going somewhere safe."

The woman had been lying. There were soldiers waiting for them when they arrived at the supposedly safe place. Erik and Edie watched in horror as Ruth and Josef were shot. They were going to be shot too, but the men decided to take them away instead. They were taken with other people to wait for a train. They didn't know where the train was taking them, but both Edie and Erik knew it would not take them somewhere good. While on the train, Edie and Erik had the opportunity to talk.

"Mama, where are they taking us?"

"I don't know, darling."

"Are they going to kill us?"

"That wouldn't make sense. If they were going to kill us, why not do it before putting us on this train? No, they wouldn't take us somewhere to kill us. I heard it's a labor camp. We will have to work for them, but they will provide us with food. And we will at least be together."

Edie and Erik spent most of the rest of their time on the train in silence. When the doors were opened, Edie was filled with more fear. The camp looked and smelled absolutely horrible. But at least she still had Erik. That all changed as they were lined up in front of the guards.

Erik was separated from Mama. She had promised they would be together, but the guards were separating them. He had never been so scared in his life. He had to reach her. For the first time, Edie let herself show her fear. She couldn't contain it anymore. When her Erik was separated from her side, she couldn't remain in control. She needed to protect her son. No matter what, she would protect him.

"Mama!"

"My darling!"

Edie was, for a brief moment, overjoyed. She was sure her son had been killed. She didn't know where the guards were taking her. She was sure she would be killed too. She never would have guessed she was being taken to see her son. She never would have guessed he would still be alive. Erik was clearly relieved too. Seeing her was a reassurance. For a moment, Edie believed the guards had hearts. Perhaps this place wasn't as terrible as she thought. That thought was quickly removed from her when the guards pulled her and her son apart. A gun was pointed at her and the man behind the desk explained why she was sent to that room. Her life was at stake to motivate Erik to move a coin. She hated that man for the anguish he was causing her son. Once again, she was determined to be the strong one.

"Mama?"

"You can do it."

Edie watched helplessly as her son tried to move the coin. This was ridiculous. How was her son supposed to move a coin without touching it? Maybe this was a trick. It had to be a trick. They were going to kill her. Would they kill Erik? Would he be safe?

"Everything is alright. Everything is alright. Everything is alright."

Edie almost believed it herself. She hoped she could help Erik believe it, if only for a moment. That's how she spent her last moments: Trying to help her son feel as if everything was alright, even though it wasn't.


End file.
